Charity Oga-Omenka

Research interests

My research interests lie primarily in contributing to a deeper understanding of the intersection between health and the social determinants of health, particularly as it relates to pathways to and access to healthcare. Access to healthcare for many individuals, particularly those in resource-limited settings or marginalized groups, has historically been plagued by disparities due to sociodemographic characteristics of individuals, and is one of the major challenges facing health systems in developing countries. Barriers and facilitators to accessing public and private healthcare has been the primary focus of most of my research endeavours to date. HIV and Tuberculosis healthcare access research bring together many aspects of global public health issues including the relationship between health outcomes and the social determinants of health, impacts of political trends and government will, global health priorities and roles of donor agencies. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there is evidence that disparities in healthcare access are widening. I am also interested in researching best practices for healthcare delivery recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Graduate supervision and student opportunities 

• Equitable healthcare access
• Tuberculosis/HIV healthcare delivery and quality of care
• Healthcare delivery and recovery from COVID-19
• Global health 

Teaching, expertise, tools and technologies 

• Qualitative research methods
• Social determinants of health
• Mixed methods
• Globalization and health 

Education

B.Pharm, Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna, Nigeria

MPH, University of the Western Cape, Capetown, South Africa

PhD, Public Health (option Global Health), University of Montreal

PDF, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University

Selected Publications

See Google Scholar for full list of publications.

Elsevier. Mannan, S., Oga-Omenka, C., ThekkePurakkal, A. S., Huria, L., Kalra, A., Gandhi, R., ... and Pai, M. (2022). Adaptations to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic by private sector tuberculosis care providers in India. Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, 28, 100327.

Oga-Omenka, C., Tseja-Akinrin, A., Boffa, J., Heitkamp, P., Pai, M., and Zarowsky, C. (2021, June). Commentary: Lessons from the COVID-19 global health response to inform TB case finding. In Healthcare (Vol. 9, No. 2, p. 100487).

Oga-Omenka, C., Bada, F., Agbaje, A., Dakum, P., Menzies, D., and Zarowsky, C. (2020). Ease and equity of access to free DR-TB services in Nigeria-a qualitative analysis of policies, structures and processes. International Journal for Equity in Health, 19(1), 1-13.

Oga-Omenka, C., Boffa, J., Kuye, J., Dakum, P., Menzies, D., and Zarowsky, C. (2020). Understanding the gaps in DR-TB care Cascade in Nigeria: a sequential mixed-method study. Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, 21, 100193.

Oga-Omenka, C., Tseja-Akinrin, A., Sen, P., Mac-Seing, M., Agbaje, A., Menzies, D., and Zarowsky, C. (2020). Factors influencing diagnosis and treatment initiation for multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in six sub-Saharan African countries: a mixed-methods systematic review. BMJ global health, 5(7), e002280.

Omenka, C., and Zarowsky, C. (2013). ‘No one knows what will happen after these five years’: narratives of ART, access and agency in Nigeria. Global Health Promotion, 20(1_suppl), 45-50